Top 10 Most Misleading Band Names and Music Artist Stage Names

Misleading band names or stage names give you the wrong expectations and impressions:

1. About their country of origin - a band called Birds of Tokyo is not from Japan.

2. About the type of music they play - a band called Miss May I plays metalcore.

3. About anything else - the band members of Barenaked Ladies are not hot chicks, and so on.

The Top Ten

Barenaked Ladies (all members are male)

Barenaked Ladies are a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The current members are Ed Robertson, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, and Tyler Stewart. Steven Page, a founding member and co-lead singer, left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career.... read more

They are males. There's no pornography. They are an alternative rock band from Canada.

The name perfectly embodies their music - tongue-in-cheek.
Job for a Cowboy (death metal band)

Job for a Cowboy is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band released their debut album Genesis on May 15, 2007. The album peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard 200 and sold around 13,000 copies in its first week.

I could easily trick a country fan into listening to these guys.

Especially if they cover Pantera's Cowboys from Hell.
Lifelover (depressive rock band)

Haha, this is really funny!
Eagles of Death Metal (not a death metal band)

Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme, though Homme rarely tours with the band. The band features a rotating lineup of musicians for both studio recordings and live performances.

A great stoner rock band. Their name actually came from singer Josh Homme discovering the Polish death metal band Vader and referred to them as "The Eagles of Death Metal."
Birds of Tokyo (Australian rock band)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra (American rock/metal band)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill. He brought together Jon Oliva, Al Pitrelli, and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. The band is known for its elaborate live shows... read more

Siberia is a cold region in Russia! But the band is great.
Tokio Hotel (German band)

Tokio Hotel is a pop rock band from Magdeburg, Germany, formed in 2001. The group consists of Bill Kaulitz on vocals, Tom Kaulitz on guitar, Gustav Schäfer on drums, and Georg Listing on bass and keyboard.
They rose to fame in Germany with their 2005 debut album Schrei, when most members were... read more
Queen (all-male band)

Queen is an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar). Before Queen, May and Taylor had played together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury, a fan... read more

Also, Queen Elizabeth isn't in the band.

I never liked that name. I think it's a weird name for a band of all men.
The Animals (all members are human)

The Animals are a 1960s English rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade. They became known for their gritty, blues-influenced sound and hits like House of the Rising Sun and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. The band was part of the British Invasion of the United States... read more

Could you imagine if there was an actual band where all the members were animals?

This item cracks me up every time I read it.
The 1975 (21st-century band)

Their music doesn't really sound like 1970s music either.

The Newcomers

?
Lukas Graham (band, not a solo artist)

Lukas Graham is a pop soul band from Copenhagen, Denmark. The group is currently composed of lead singer Lukas Forchhammer, drummer Mark Falgren, and bassist Magnus Larsson. They are known for hit songs like 7 Years and have received international acclaim for their music blending pop with soul and funk... read more

Strange name for a band, honestly. It sounds like it would be a one-man band, but it isn't. "The Lukas Graham Band" would be a better name.

I'm sure so many of us thought that Lukas Graham was a solo artist at first when "7 Years" first came out, but years later, I learned that it's actually a band.
?
Destroy Boys (all-female band)

Edit: There actually is one male member as of 2023, but it's not plural, so it's still misleading. Plus, if I remember correctly, the singer is non-binary too.

The Contenders

Cacophony (not a noise music band)

This US band plays neo-classical metal, one of the most demanding and well-structured music genres. I have no idea why Marty Friedman and Jason Becker named their band Cacophony. Marty Friedman and Jason Becker are among the most talented guitarists of all time.
The Psychedelic Furs (doesn't play psychedelic music)
The Killers (no band member is convicted of murder)

The Killers are an American pop rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. The band gained international fame with their debut album Hot Fuss (2004), which included hit singles like Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me. They've since released multiple albums and... read more

Not a heavy band either. They are pop rock, post-punk, and alternative rock.
The Choir (not a choir)
Twenty One Pilots (only two members, neither have a pilot's license)

Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio, best known for their hits "Stressed Out," "Heathens," and "Ride." The band formed in 2009 with Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih. Today, the lineup consists of Tyler Joseph (lead vocals. Piano. Keyboards. Synthesizers. Ukulele... read more
Death Metal Pope (plays doom metal)

A band from the United States.
Tokyo Blade (UK metal band)
Cross Canadian Ragweed (American rock band)
Molotov (Spanish metal band)

Molotov sounds very Russian because Molotov is Russian. But this band even sings in Spanish (song: No Manches Mi Vida).
Queens of the Stone Age (all-male band)

Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1996. The band was founded by Josh Homme and has featured a rotating lineup of musicians over the years. The current lineup includes Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita, and Jon Theodore, who joined... read more
Smelly Pedros (metal band)

Pedro is a Spanish name, and I expected a comedy flamenco band or something like that. This band name doesn't speak metal at all, but they are a thrash metal/metalcore band from Canada.
Silento (constantly screams)

Richard Lamar Hawk, better known by his stage name Silentó, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He was born on January 23, 1998, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is best known for his debut single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," which reached number three on the Billboard... read more

Tell me about it. I wish he would be silent because Watch Me was just annoying and awful.
Portugal. The Man (American rock band)
Grand Funk Railroad (not a funk band)

Grand Funk Railroad, sometimes shortened to Grand Funk, is an American rock band that gained major popularity during the 1970s. Known for their energetic live performances, they toured extensively and played to sold-out arenas around the world. The band is best known for hits like We're an American Band... read more
Strapping Young Lad (extreme metal band)

Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band began as a one-man studio project. Townsend performed most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. By 1997, he had assembled a permanent... read more

From this band name, I expected country music.